Gathered on a bridge at Long Branch Park last Saturday, a dozen people awaited the arrival of the Seneca Chief. Rather than a leader of the Seneca Nation, the anticipated guest was a replica of the first boat to traverse the Erie Canal 200 years ago.
Those on the bridge were not waiting to celebrate the vessel, but to meet it with a call to action.
Shortly before noon, Tadodaho (spiritual leader) Sid Hill and other representatives of the Onondaga Nation unfurled a 25-foot blue banner. Iridescent balloon weights were tied to the bottom to hold it down. In large white letters, it read:…